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Social Studies and History

World Geography will focus on the 5 geographic themes: Location, Character, Region, Movement, and Human-Environmental Interaction. After mastering the five themes and how they can be identified and applied, students will apply the themes while examining countries from around the world. The curriculum will cover countries in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Students will also be able to compare and contrast countries and be able to solve and predict the geographic problems and conditions that exist within these countries. The ultimate goal is for students to form a solid foundational knowledge of physical and cultural geography, basic geopolitics, and gaining a sense of appreciation for other cultures. Assessments
will include mapping activities, quizzes and tests, writing prompts, lab simulations, and projects.

Criteria for placement in Grade 7 Social Studies Honors is based on teacher recommendation, overall grade and performance on summative assessments.

Honors Social Studies 7 goes beyond Social Studies 7 with extended learning activities that require students to increase their use of critical thinking skills to include analysis, synthesis, and problem solving. The curriculum moves at an accelerated pace with a more concentrated focus.

Social Studies 8
Pre-requisite: SS 7
Credit: N/A
Course length: Year

This course begins with examining the events leading to the creation of the United States and the background for the writing of the U.S. Constitution. The students will learn about the structure of American government, including a historical foundation and survey of the economic system in the U.S. It continues with the events of the Great Depression in the United States, as well as world events during the same time period, through present day global issues.

Criteria for placement in Grade 8 Social Studies Honors is based on teacher recommendation, overall grade and performance on summative assessments.

Honors Social Studies 8 goes beyond Social Studies 8 with extended learning activities that require students to increase their use of critical thinking skills to include analysis, synthesis, and problem solving. The curriculum moves at an accelerated pace with a more concentrated focus

World History
Pre-requisite: SS 8
Credit: 1
Course length: Year

World History is the first course in the Social Studies Program. This course is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge to understand the major concepts, characteristics, events and people of history, from the Greco-Roman era through the 20th century. Economic and political developments, geographic and geopolitical concepts, belief systems and cultural contributions are integrated into the curriculum.

Criteria for placement in Honors World history is based on teacher recommendation, overall grade and performance on summative assessments.

Honors World History goes beyond World History with extended learning activities that require students to increase their use of critical thinking skills to include analysis, synthesis and problem solving. The curriculum moves at an accelerated pace with a more concentrated focus .

US History
Pre-requisite: World History
Credit: 1
Course length: Year

This course is a political and social history of the United States and Arizona, emphasizing the founding of the United States and the period from the colonial period to the present. Particular attention is given to the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Industrial Revolution, Expansionism, WWI, Roaring 20’s, Great Depression, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War and other details. In addition to their textbooks, students will use maps, primary source documents, secondary readings, and videos in their work, and will write analytical essays. Students will also look into their own family history and try to discovery their own history.

Honors US History
Pre-requisite: World History
Credit: 1
Course length: Year

Criteria for placement in Honors US History is based on teacher recommendation, overall grade and performance on summative assessments.

Honors US History goes beyond US History with extended learning activities that require students to increase their use of critical thinking skills to include analysis, synthesis, and problem solving. The curriculum moves at an accelerated pace with a more concentrated focus.

Government
Pre-requisite: US History
Credit: .5
Course length: Sem

The goal of the Government course is to help students acquire the knowledge necessary to be active participants in American society. This course assists students in becoming aware of their roles as citizens and helps them evaluate public issues, make informed judgments, and provide an understanding of how a person's values affect their decision ¬making process. Students acquire knowledge of how citizens have in the past, and can now and in the future, directly and indirectly interact with the public policy processes. . Students will understand politics, government, and the responsibilities of good citizenship. Citizenship skills include the capacity to influence policies and decisions by clearly communicating interests and the ability to build coalitions through negotiation, compromise, and consensus. In addition, students will learn that the United States influences and is influenced by global interaction. Students will be instructed through lecture and group and individual studies. Students will utilize charts and graphs to find and discuss historical trends and detail specific events or data.

Successful completion of Economics requires students to demonstrate an understanding of basic economic concepts. Students become familiar with the economic system of the United States and how it operates. They also explore the roles of various components of the American economic system. Students examine their roles as consumer, worker, investor and voting citizen. Topics of discussion include the Stock Market, comparative economic systems, and the impact of political and social decisions on the economy. Students will develop an economic way of thinking and problem solving to understand and apply basic economic principles to decisions they will make as consumers, members of the workforce, citizens, voters, and participants in a global marketplace. This will prepare students to weigh both short-term and long-term effects of decisions as well as possible unintended consequences .